Endings and beginings

     Last year, number-wise, not my most impressive. I managed 232 species while being a mom to a very energetic toddler, with 90% of the time only a bike to get my butt out and about, and while navigating where to take my career to next. In the end of it all, I'm just so happy I can keep birding while being a mom to a growing, curious, and very intelligent little kid. I even got her a little tot camera so she can take bird pictures with me. But, moming makes birding a bit limited. So I have come to embrace the fact that I still can bird, just at a different pace than most. But I know that it won't always be quite like this. Really secretly hoping she just wants to be a birder and we go on kickass trips to see birds and the world together.

    I closed out 2022 with a visit to Jones Beach, close to where I grew up and I opened up 2023 with an afternoon walk in my local patch. I'm just looking forward to what the year brings, bird-wise!

At Jones Beach when I first arrived, a flock of (likely) over 1000 brant just landed right before me. It was really surreal.

I loved watching all the flocks come from all different directions to become this one really giant flock.

And once on the water together, they were quite noisy. They also began to synchronize their moves and then all at once, with a loud "WOOOSH" they all took to the air in unison and it literally made my heart beat fast, bring a really dumb smile to my face, and I think I even did that thing where I put my full hand over my heart on my chest. Like it was a breath-taking moment.
And just another reason why common, abundant birds can make your heart skip a beat the same way a rare bird can!

All the time between the brants coming and going, this black scoter, joined by an immature male, three females, and a single greater scaup, sat as if nothing had occured.

I love black scoters, I think they are very cute.

This one made me look twice, thought it was a female, but the orange on the beak made me realize it's an immature male.

I took to the median after the coast guard station, where the (nasal, off-key) chorus of red-breasted nuthatches filled the air.

They are very cute.

Love to see them!

I made my way out to the inlet overlooking point lookout and saw the razorbills I had hoped for. But I also saw this dovekie and that was a surprise I was not expecting and very happy to have seen.
Before this, I have found a dead dovekie at Jones Beach many years back, then a BROOKLYN dovekie about a year or two ago that was immediately grabbed by a peregrine falcon. So I was happy to see one living, diving, and being its best dovekie self.

For today, after a morning out with my family, I got in a walk at Marine Park. I feel that this Cooper's Hawk was sent over from the good deed I performed just before this, helping a sweet lady learn how to use her binoculars she just got for Christmas.
"Excuse me, are you a binocular expert?" Is how she approached me, and I helped her adjust her harness, fit her bins to her face, showed her the focus, and she was just so eager to explore the world through them. I hope she also got to enjoy some sights through them on this (ridiculously) warm, new years day.

Thank you, Cooper's Hawk for gracing me with your presence.

The park wasn't suuuper birdy when I went, but it was good to see lots of people outside enjoying nature. Also, this purple shine to this northern shoveler drake, is plenty for me.

Upon arriving home, I noticed our new feeder bird of 2023, we finally have house finches. It began as one male....

And then it quickly turned into a small flock. Word spreads fast I suppose.

These little cuties hop happily into our window feeder where we can appreciate seeing them all day long!
Wishing everyone a birdful year ahead!